What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
by alyells
Summary: After saying goodbye to Shelby, tragedy strikes Rachel's picture-perfect life. When everything is ripped out from underneath her, Shelby is there to help her put it all back together. Post-Regionals, rated T for safety.
1. This Street of Broken Dreams

**Hello everyone! So this is my first Glee fic that I've ever written. I don't know if it's going anywhere, so this very short chapter is just a test to see if anyone will enjoy it enough to continue reading. So if you do read, please review and let me know if you think I should continue! Thanks, and enjoy! **

It was hardly evening; the sun had barely faded into a hazy glow above the horizon, and the cool misty air was still alive with the buzzing of early autumn. Rachel Berry was sitting alone on the curb outside McKinley High, her tote bag full of dancing attire at her side and her left hand resting lightly in the strap, ready to carry it when she stood. Absently she checked her cell phone for the time again, as she had been doing every few minutes for the past two hours, and laid it down without really looking at the numbers in the upper corner; she knew that it was later than it should have been.

In all her years of after school rehearsals and extra-curricular commitments, never once had her dads forgotten to pick her up. They had always been on time, without a doubt, and she had never imagined that they wouldn't show up some day. For the first time, Rachel had slipped their minds, and it wasn't something she was used to. She had been spoiled rotten, while still holding onto her kind nature and respect, but had never been denied attention or time. She had to give them credit, though; after fifteen and a half years, only showing up late once was a good track record. However, Rachel couldn't help but feel totally abandoned and slightly betrayed, sitting on the cold, hard concrete, wishing with all her might that she could snap her fingers and transport herself home.

She was pondering how in the world her dads could have neglected to call and tell her they were going to be late - or perhaps they had forgotten that today after Glee she had ballet at four – when someone pulled into the parking lot of the school in a black SUV. With a sudden flicker of hope, she watched the car park and her heart sank when she realized it wasn't her vehicle. She listened to the engine shut off abruptly, and watched a tall, elegant woman slide out of the front seat. Back on, she was unrecognizable, but that long, dark hair with a delicate wave near then ends struck her as too familiar.

Watching her own mother walk towards her was always a strange experience for Rachel; it was like someone had fast-forwarded time and was playing her back an image of herself fifteen years down the road. As Shelby Corcoran came across the asphalt to where Rachel was sitting, the young girl looked around quickly for an escape; she hadn't spoken to Shelby since that last time they had painfully said goodbye after Regionals, and she didn't think she was prepared to face her just yet. It was clear to Rachel that Shelby was thinking the exact same thing she was; she averted her eyes, looking for a way to avoid the confrontation that was inevitable. The shock and disappointment so recently faced were still fresh to Rachel, and she felt her eyes well up as the woman who reminded her so much of herself stopped at her feet.

Rachel slowly raised her eyes, taking in Shelby's appearance from toe to head. She was wearing black high heeled boots, tight black jeans and a flattering, pale blue top with a black blazer jacket over it. She carried a leather bag under her right arm, and her hair was done just so. Rachel looked to her mother's face, saw her warm brown eyes which were identical to her own, and quickly looked away again. It was so much like looking into a mirror.

Shelby looked down at Rachel for a moment before speaking. She spoke softly so that Rachel had to concentrate on the words to hear her over the wind that was blowing. A chill ran up the girl's spine.

"Rachel," Shelby said, concern and something else – was it pain? – written all over her face. "What are you still doing here?"

Rachel didn't make eye contact with the older woman as she spoke. She stared at her round-toed ballet flats, noticing that the seams were starting to fray slightly on one of them. "My dads forgot me," she whispered back.

Shelby moved around to Rachel's side and sat next to her on the sidewalk, just close enough that her elbow brushed the girl's shoulder as she lowered herself. Rachel shuddered again, but this time it had nothing to do with the cool wind.

For a while, it seemed like Shelby didn't know what to say in response. An awkward silence built up between them as the emotions and thoughts stirred around inside of Rachel, making her feel like she was about to explode. There was so many things she wanted to say to the woman sitting at her side; she wanted to be angry, to yell and rant at her for coming into her life and leaving again without regard for the affect it might have; she wanted to cry and throw herself into Shelby's arms, begging her to just love her; and she wanted to smile and ask her how she had been since they last spoken. There were so many things that she wished she could say but couldn't. Instead she just looked at Shelby, her face blank.

"I've been here for two hours," Rachel said in a deadpan tone. "I was supposed to have ballet at four, but my dad's forgot me."

"Oh," replied Shelby, making eye contact with her daughter. Rachel stared at her face, taking in everything. She unconsciously moved a little bit closer to her mother on the sidewalk, barely noticeable but enough so that their shoulders were now touching slightly.

"It's the first time they've ever forgotten," Rachel whispered, looking at her shoes and away from her mother again.

"Oh," Shelby said again. "Did they call?"

"No," Rachel stated simply. "I'm not worried, though. They probably got held up at work, and they have no cell phone service most of the time. They'll call," she assured herself, as well as Shelby. She did her best to keep the conversation light and continuing on without letting her emotions get the better of her. All her training as a thespian allowed her to keep her composure; she became a character of herself.

There was silence again for a moment, and then Rachel furrowed her eyebrows in question. "Why are you here?"

"I had to come and talk to Mr. Schuster," Shelby said, fiddling with a loose thread on the hem of her shirt. "About Regionals, Glee Club…" she trailed off, leaving Rachel with an impression that she refrained from adding "you" to the end of her sentence.

"I think he's gone home," Rachel said blandly, wondering why Mr. Schue and her mother would be discussing her; of course, she liked Mr. Schue, but she didn't think he would be involved enough in her life to speak to her mother about personal issues.

"Oh," Shelby said for the third time, clearly lost for words. "Well, rehearsal ran late this evening at Carmel, but I figured I'd give it a shot to come and see him anyway. It took me a little longer to get here than I'd thought; you know traffic this time of day."

Rachel nodded once in affirmation. Silence fell between the two again, and for a while Rachel just sat there, taking in the presence of her mother. She had thought so much about her since Regionals; the whole summer, she had been sick to her stomach wondering where she was and how she was doing. She had gone through a rollercoaster of feelings towards the woman, and had just finally been able to accept the fact that she had to move on. Now, here she was, face to face with the cause of all the stress and sleepless nights in her life as of late. Rachel listened to the wind blow, and felt the steady rise and fall of Shelby's shoulder next to hers as she inhaled and exhaled slowly.

Rachel cleared her throat quietly, and turned to face her mother full on. She laid a hand on Shelby's knee and looked her in the eyes. She felt the tears begin to come again as she whispered, "I missed you."

Shelby made a jerky movement, as if to cover Rachel's hand with her own, but changed her mind last minute and settled with brushing her hair behind her ear. Rachel's heart was aching as she drew her own hand back, kicking herself internally for attempting to be affectionate with Shelby. Her mother took a shaky breath and smiled a sad smile in the direction of her daughter. She stood wearily, seeming unsteady on her feet, and when she straightened to her full height, offered Rachel a hand and helped the girl off of the cold side walk.

"Come on, hon," she said gently, "I'll give you a ride home."


	2. Visions of Many Things

The car ride was mainly silent, except for the hum of the tires spinning and the faint lyrics of an old rock song playing in undertones from the radio. Rachel sat in the passenger seat, seat belt tightly across her chest, staring out the darkening window at the lights of the residential streets passing by quickly. She could barely make out the specific houses before they blurred in her vision and slipped out of sight. The clock from the dashboard blazed "7:13", and she kept glancing absently to her phone to see if she would receive a call or text from either of her dads. Except for that, and nodding or shaking her head to Shelby's directions, Rachel didn't move. She kept her hands folded in her lap, not wanting to accidentally touch her mother, who seemed to be mere inches and colossal miles away from her at the same time.

When they finally pulled onto Rachel's street and Shelby parked the car across from the Berry's driveway, Rachel didn't make an attempt to get out of the car. She nervously sat there, staying almost too still, waiting for her mother to say something, _anything_. It was all Rachel could do to keep from screaming for Shelby to speak to her; after all, _she _was the adult and Rachel was the child. Shelby was supposed to be the one to encourage Rachel to talk; not the other way around. She had so many questions to ask, so many answers that she needed, but she didn't know how to go about finding the right words to speak them out loud. It wasn't a casual thing to inquire if your mother regretted missing out on the first fifteen years of your life.

When Rachel did make to take off her seatbelt, Shelby's hand reached across and stopped her from opening the door and sliding out of the car without a word of farewell exchanged. Rachel looked to her mother, who was a mask of composure, and swallowed hard.

"You know," Shelby said, her voice shaky but determined, "if you ever need anything, and I mean _anything_, you can call me." She took Rachel's phone from her lap and quickly entered her number into it. "No matter what, or when," she added, handing the phone back to her daughter with a tremor in her hand. "Just call."

Rachel smiled gently, not fully letting the expression reach her eyes, and without a word, took Shelby's phone from the cup holder of the car and put her own number into the contacts. Then, slowly, gently, she handed it back, letting it fall into Shelby's lap, and turned from her, opening the passenger side door and drawing a deep shuddering breath as she stepped onto the ground. Just before she slammed the door shut behind her, she said a quiet, "thanks for the ride," and hurried across the street and up the driveway.

She rummaged through her bag, looking for her house key, and almost smiled to herself as she heard the engine of Shelby's car start up behind her, but remain idling in the street. She felt her mother's eyes on her back as she pulled the key out of the bottom of her bag and inserted it into the lock. As she stepped in the house, she turned and waved to Shelby, who raised her hand back and drove off down the street. Rachel closed the door behind her, locked the deadbolt and leaned against the heavy oak.

She squeezed the heart-shaped keychain in her hand that had her name engraved on the back. Her dads had given it to her on her fourteenth birthday, along with her very own house key, because they were proud to finally be confident enough to let Rachel stay home alone. Up until that point, they had a neighbor keep an eye on their precious daughter. Unlike other children of overprotective parents, Rachel didn't object; she liked that her parents were concerned about her, and the neighbor they had asked to stay with her, Mrs. Greene, had always made her feel special and had been the most maternal figure in her life. A tear rolled down Rachel's cheek as she realized that she wished Shelby, her actual mother, had been the one to give her that keychain.

Rachel laid her bag in the foyer and walked down the hallway, looking into the classy sitting room and contemporary kitchen for her dads. She screwed up her eyebrows and walked to the foot of the curving staircase that led to the second floor of the house. She placed a hand on the railing.

"Dad?" Rachel called up the stairs, beginning to get nervous. It wasn't like her parents not to be waiting for her when she arrived home. She climbed the stairs and went into her dads' bedroom, getting a sick feeling in her stomach when she realized that they weren't there. With a panicky gasp, she hurried back down the stairs and back out of the house, clutching her cell phone in her hand.

It was only by extremely good luck that Shelby was still parked across the street from Rachel's house, rummaging around in her glove box for something. Rachel ran up to the SUV and tapped on the driver's side window frantically, completely distraught and her mind spinning with a thousand different things that could be wrong with her dads.

"Rachel, what's wrong?" Shelby asked, concern etched all over her face, as she rolled down the window. "Did something happen? You were only gone five minutes!"

"I can't find my dads," Rachel cried, leaning against the cool metal of Shelby's car. She needed something underneath her to keep her stable, if not she would have fallen over.

Shelby looked confused for a second, then panicked. "They're not in the house?"

"No," Rachel said, feeling like crying. She was sincerely worried about her parents' whereabouts. "I looked all over the place."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," said Rachel, her voice shaky. She had never been without her parents before; if this was typical of them, she wouldn't have been so distraught, but it was completely unlike her dads to not be home, not get in touch, not come looking for her if she was running late.

Shelby looked as if she didn't know what to do. She opened her mouth to speak, then changed her mind, and repeated the motion a few times. Finally, she turned off her car, opened the door and stepped out. She took Rachel by the hand and walked up the walkway into the otherwise empty house.

Rachel followed Shelby around the house as she checked every single room for Rachel's dads. Shelby's heart was beating nervously as she pushed open door after door, peered inside and moved on to the next one. Rachel began to cry, and sniffled in a pitiful manner as she walked after her mother. It only took them a couple of minutes to check the upstairs and the basement, and it was obvious that there was no one in the kitchen, sitting room or front porch.

With their search coming up empty, Rachel was really beginning to panic. She moved into the sitting room and sat down on one of the soft leather sofas, absolutely beside herself with worry. Shelby stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking around the house for the first time. Rachel ignored her and pulled out her cell phone, frantically dialing one of her two dads' numbers. It rang four, five, six times, and then went to voice mail.

"Hi Dad, it's me," Rachel said, trying to sound like her normal, cheery self, though her voice cracked slightly. "I'm home now, and I'm just wondering where you are. I haven't heard from you all day, and I'm getting a little bit worried." On the last part of the sentence, Rachel looked up and caught Shelby's eye. Her mother looked lost for words. "Okay, so call me."

With a dejected look, she put her phone on the dark wood coffee table in front of her. Shelby moved over and sat next to Rachel on the couch, putting an arm around her daughter. With a deep, shivering breath, Rachel began to cry harder, laying her head on Shelby's shoulder. Shelby embraced her, shushing her softly and smoothing down her long, dark hair over her back. They sat like that for a long time until Rachel had cried all the tears she could muster. Finally, she pulled away from the hug and wiped the tears off of her own cheeks.

"Will you stay?" she asked, feeling more like a small child than she had ever before.

"Of course," Shelby nodded. "For as long as you need me."

It took Rachel a while to settle down. For a while, she alternated between pacing the sitting room frantically, and sitting in silence on the couch while Shelby watched her, hopelessly. Rachel knew that she was equally as distraught, but only because the girl she called her daughter could not be comforted by her. It was one of those perfect opportunities for bonding that was overlooked due to sheer inconvenience. If they had been any other mother-daughter duo, Rachel would have laid her head on Shelby's lap as she cried, her mother stroking her hair lovingly and telling her that everything was going to be okay. Instead, they both kept their distance, too uncomfortable and awkward to be of any real help to each other.

It was almost as if Rachel was stuck in a time zone of her own; the world around her wasn't moving, though she kept living. For over three hours, she repeated the same motion of pacing and sitting, staring blankly out the window and making frantic phone calls to her dads. She was waiting for something to happen, and nothing did. In the calm moments that she allowed herself to sit, for a moment everything seemed normal, and her head would blank. She would feel as though everything was okay. But then, with a violent jerk of her stomach, her eyes would water and everything would come rushing back to her twice as hard as it had the time before.

Finally, Rachel and Shelby sat down next to each other on the sofa, Rachel's pacing leaving both of them dizzy.

"M…Shelby," Rachel said, catching the older woman's attention, "I want to call the police."

Shelby smiled weakly at her daughter's naivety. "There's nothing they can do for you yet," she said, wishing that there was something else she could say. "They've only been…out of touch…for a few hours. It's got to be at least a day before we can…."

"Report them missing," Rachel finished, her chest clenching with worry. "This is no time for euphemisms, M…" she trailed, keeping herself from calling Shelby, Mom for the second time. Rachel couldn't understand why it felt so natural to address this near complete stranger as "mom", when she was no more than an egg donor. Perhaps it was Rachel's childlike, buried emotions rearing their head, or perhaps it was because she was just looking for a parental figure in her life. Whatever it was, she knew it was completely inappropriate to address Shelby as anything more than that…Shelby.

Just as Shelby opened her mouth to retort, a small smile on her lips again, she was interrupted by the shrill ring of the house telephone. For a moment, both women froze, unable to do anything. Rachel turned to Shelby, looking for all the world like a small child, and her eyes begged her mother to be of assistance. Reacting in an instinctive, maternal fashion, Shelby squeezed Rachel's tiny hand and ran to the wall charger where the cordless phone was cradled. She picked it up and pushed on as Rachel watched from the sofa, nearly in tears with anticipation and worry.

"Hello?" Shelby said, holding the phone close to her ear. "No, this is Shelby Corcoran," she hesitated, and then inserted, "a friend of the family."

Rachel stared intently at her mother as she conversed with the mystery caller. Shelby's face fell, and then she scrambled to compose herself. But it was too late; Rachel had seen the panic on her face. The sixteen year old started to cry, muffling her sobs in her hand as she rocked back and forth, losing all composure and dignity. She knew something was terribly wrong, and only managed to glance up one more at Shelby, who had a single tear trickling down her cheek.

"Yes, of course," Shelby said in a quavering voice, "we'll be there soon. Thank you," she said, and hung up. She placed the phone back in the cradle and walked across the room to where Rachel was sitting, her face between her knees and staring at the floor. Rachel felt a warm hand start rubbing up and down her back and didn't bother to look up. Her tears fell straight from her eyes onto the carpet and her sock-clad feet. Shelby's weight was comforting next to her, and she asked the question she was dreading.

"What happened?"

As Shelby started to speak, her voice broken and she let out a little sob. Rachel cried harder, without even hearing the answer.

"Oh baby," Shelby muttered, then cleared her throat. "It's not good."


	3. Happiness Is Just An Illusion

**A/N: I would just like to extend a HUGE thank you to all my readers, reviewers, favourite-ers and alert-ers, who have been encouraging me to continue with this story. All of your ideas are so helpful, and I honestly appreciate your feedback so, so much. The influx of e-mails makes me look forward to getting on the computer, and I love being able to write when I know someone will read it. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, and keep on reviewing! xx **

Rachel's mind began to spin. She felt light headed and on the verge of being physically sick. As a little girl, she had been prone to night terrors about her dad's being in the hospital and going missing, but she had always woken up and been comforted by them. They would tell her that no matter what, they would always be with her and would never leave her because they loved her too much. All of those memories, the countless nighttime trips down the hall into their bedroom, came flooding back at once.

Shelby didn't speak. Her hand kept methodically rubbing Rachel's back, but she remained perfectly silent. Rachel sat up and looked at her mother, bleary-eyed through her tears, and continued to cry. She tried her hardest to stifle the sobs that were wracking through her; she didn't know what had happened to her dads, but she did know that it was "not good".

"What happened," Rachel repeated firmly, emphasizing each word with a shuddering breath as she tried to calm herself.

Shelby shook her head, blinking quickly. Rachel watched as a silent tear trickled down her cheek, shining in the bright lights of her living room. The single droplet fell from the edge of Shelby's chin and landed on the bare skin of her leg, which was folded along side of her on the couch.

"There's been an accident," said Shelby, staring Rachel square in the eyes. The young girl could only gasp, holding a hand over her open mouth. "It was early today, probably on the way to work…Another car swerved into the side of your dads' and they went into a ditch…The car rolled and…" Shelby's voice trailed off, leaving the rest to Rachel's imagination. She pictured the black SUV turned in a ditch on the side of the road, her dads' both lying unconscious and withering away. Rachel physically shook herself and let the tears roll down her face, disregarding them.

"A-are they okay?" she asked. Shelby shook her head.

"We're going to go to the hospital now," replied Shelby, standing up and grabbing her keys off the coffee table. "Come on, I'll drive you."

Rachel followed her mother out of the house and into her car, buckling her seat belt. Shelby drove off, not bothering to speed on the way. Rachel chewed her bottom lip anxiously, her stomach twisting and turning inside her. Her eyes occasionally darted to Shelby, who was white-knuckled and stone-faced as she kept her eyes on the road. Rachel was grateful for this; she was not typically a nervous passenger, but tonight, every bump or swerve on the high way made her cry out in fear.

The completely silent car ride took only twenty minutes. Shelby parked in a conveniently close space near the door and inserted two dollars in change into the parking meter. Walking quickly, Rachel followed Shelby into the double glass doors of the hospital. Rachel spoke quietly, informing her mother that this was the first time she had ever been in the hospital. Shelby only nodded and kept walking, heading for the reception desk.

The nurse at the desk chewed obnoxiously on a wad of bubble gum, snapping it in her mouth as she absent-mindedly scrawled something on a piece of paper. Rachel couldn't help but grimace at the sight of someone who worked so closely with the public acting in such a disgusting fashion. She leaned against the counter as Shelby addressed the rude receptionist in a brisk manner.

"I need to see Mr. Sol and Mr. Rick Berry," Shelby said, her voice and face portraying a very no-nonsense manner. Rachel watched the exchange, thanking her lucky stars that Shelby was with her to handle the situation. Rachel's people skills were finely tuned, but she wouldn't have been able to form coherent sentences, let alone ask for directions.

The receptionist raised a pencil-drawn eye brow at Shelby, sitting up a little straighter in the office chair. She typed something into her computer with red-lacquered nails. She blew a bubble that popped and stuck to her nose. Pulling the gum off and shoving it back into her mouth, she turned to Shelby.

"Name?" she asked, pulling a form out of a stack of papers on her untidy desk. Rachel stood by impatiently, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. She moved a little closer to Shelby, who sighed heavily.

"Shelby Corcoran."

The nurse scribbled down the information. "Relation to patient?"

"None," Shelby answered.

The nurse rolled her eyes. "Why are you here, then?"

Rachel finally piped up. "She's here with me," the young girl informed the nurse, feeling Shelby's eyes on her. "The Berry's are my dads. Shelby's my mom."

Rachel watched as the nurse's eyes flew open, and she scrawled a few more things on the form then nodded. "They're in room 312."

Without a thank you, Shelby turned and grabbed Rachel's hand. She pulled the girl across the lobby and to the elevators, pushing frantically on the up button. Rachel didn't resist as Shelby kept a hold of her hand; in fact, the warmth and pressure were comforting to her. She had always been comforted by physical affection, and even this small display made her feel a million times better.

As they rode in the elevator side by side, Rachel began to feel the nerves again. She had no idea what she was about to face, and as the rickety machine climbed the three floors, her breathing quickened and she began to feel very claustrophobic. She squeezed Shelby's hand, and her mother squeezed back in a reassuring manner. Neither of them spoke as the doors opened and they exited onto the third floor.

Rachel continued to follow Shelby blindly down the pristine white halls. Doctors in pale green scrubs and nurses in brightly colored uniforms filed past them as they wandered past the rooms, staring at the numbers on plaques over each door and looking for room 312. The irony of the cartoon characters plastered all over the nurses' tops and pants struck Rachel as she was forced to an abrupt stop. Shelby was staring at the little shiny black metal piece with the numbers "312" engraved into it over the door. Rachel's stomach lurched again and she felt weak.

"This is it, then?" she asked Shelby in a high-pitched voice.

"Yeah, this is it," her mother nodded. Rachel took a deep breath and nodded, pushing open the door and stepping inside.

Shelby didn't come behind her right away, so Rachel turned and motioned for her to follow. She needed the support and comfort in the room with her. Rachel turned her attention to the two hospital beds separated by a thin, pale blue curtain on a metal rod. In the bed nearest to the door, Sol Berry was lying with his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slowly under the pristine white sheet. His face was swollen on one side and he had a black eye. His forehead was cut and his shiny bald head was badly bruised. He sported a neck brace and nasty swelling around his mouth. The view of his lips, however swollen, was obstructed by an oxygen mask that was strapped around his head, assisting his breathing. Those were all the injuries Rachel could see from the neck up.

In the other bed, near the window, Rick Berry was also sleeping. With his dark complexion it was hard to see where the damage was, but the pink swelling of his bottom lip told Rachel that he obviously had a lot of impact, as well. His head was wrapped in white gauze bandages and held together with shiny silver clips. There were at least fifteen stitches along his left cheek and the arm resting on top of the bed sheets was in a cast with a sling tied around his neck. They both had countless numbers of wires, IV's and machines hooked up to them, blinking, beeping, dripping and recording before Rachel's eyes. They looked like empty shells of themselves; like robot men hooked up to a life source.

Watching her two dads lie silent and broken made Rachel's heart ache. They had always been so strong and resilient, despite their flamboyancy and sensitivity, and now they were weakened and listless, totally dependant on other people. Rachel took a few steps closer to the bed nearest her, one hand slightly outstretched and her mouth hanging open. She was completely shocked to see the state of her parents.

Not knowing if she should wake them up or not, Rachel merely stood by, tearing rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't believe she still had any fluid left in her body to cry, but nonetheless they continued to stream freely. Shelby laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but otherwise kept her distance, allowing Rachel to give in to all the emotions she was feeling.

After standing at the edge of the bed for a while, Rachel's attention was averted when she heard the door open behind her. A tall, elegant looking male doctor in a white coat came in, holding a clipboard and looking surprised to see two women standing in the hospital room.

"Ah, Ms. Berry, I presume?" he asked, flipping a few sheets of paper and looking at Rachel. She nodded. He then looked to Shelby. "And you are?"

"Shelby Corcoran," she answered, leaving it at that. The doctor nodded.

"I'm Doctor Fitzgerald," said the young man, shaking Shelby's hand. She raised an eye brow, removed her hand from his grip and sat down in a hard-backed chair against the wall. Rachel remained standing, trying to find her voice.

"Dr…" she began, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Dr. Fitzgerald…how are they?"

The handsome doctor knitted his flaxen eyebrows and frowned sadly at Rachel. "I'm afraid they're in rough shape," he said mournfully. Somehow, the doctor's oozing empathy and gentle nature made her want to punch him in the face. She had a strange urge to pull his pale, wavy locks of hair. Instead, she went and sat by Shelby, gripping the arm of the chair until her hands ached. The pain of holding the wood so tightly took her mind of the pain in her heart.

"Can you just tell me what's going on?" Rachel begged, blinking rapidly so the tears didn't start pouring again.

The doctor flipped his charts again. "Well, I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, Ms. Berry," Dr. Fitzgerald said, his sad eyes fixed on her, "but your fathers both received major head trauma. Mr. Berry," he said, indicating to the closest father, "had a punctured lung and is having a lot of difficulty breathing. There is a lot of internal bleeding. As for the other Mr. Berry, his head wound was rather bad and there may be some brain damage. Neither of them is doing very well," said the doctor regretfully.

As soon as Dr. Fitzgerald had started to speak, Rachel's ears had began to buzz. She could barely comprehend what the man was saying. Were her fathers going to….No, she couldn't be hearing him right. She looked to Shelby for clarification, but her mother's face as also blank. The doctor nodded and muttered something about calling a nurse if they needed anything, taking their time, and, ironically, having a good night. Rachel didn't respond, but wasn't sad to see the back of him as he left the room. The door shut behind him with an echoing snap. Rachel and Shelby sat motionless in the chairs by the door, breathing slowly.

Rachel didn't want to leave; she wanted to sit and wait for her fathers to get better. She kept staring at them, wishing for them to sit up, pull the tubes and needles off of themselves and smile, ready to go home. Shelby laid a comforting hand on top of Rachel's, which was still gripping the arm of the chair. She allowed herself to release the tension from her body, feeling her eyes droop with exhaustion. Moving her hand from its place on top of Rachel's, Shelby draped an arm around Rachel's shoulders. Not caring about it being appropriate or tactful, Rachel responded to the touch by laying her head on Shelby's shoulder and closing her eyes, too emotionally and physically worn down to stay awake any longer. Shelby brushed a light, feathery kiss on top of Rachel's head, almost as if she was unsure about the contact, and the girl drifted off, hoping that when she awoke, it would all be a dream.


	4. Filled With Sadness and Confusion

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, everyone! This chapter required a lot of emotional digging on the behalf of Shelby and Rachel. But I've taken your suggestions and adapted them into something that will work. Don't worry; Glee will be incorporated soon, I hope – we just need to get Ms. Berry through this tough time. Thank goodness for Shelby! And I really appreciate all of your kind comments and reviews; they mean so very much to me. Happy reading! **

When Rachel woke up, it took her a few minutes to really see where she was. The light colored walls and fluffy feather pillows were unfamiliar to her; she blinked, trying to bring the room into focus. She sat up in the bed, relieved to see that she was still in her own clothes, and tried to figure out where she was. Judging by the pictures on the wall, the only place that made sense was Shelby's house. This struck Rachel as strange; for one thing, it was _Shelby's house_, and for another, she didn't know how she had managed to get there. They had been in the hospital when Rachel fell asleep, and Shelby definitely wasn't strong enough to lift her.

Rachel pulled herself out of the bed and ran a hand through her hair, hoping she looked at least presentable. She shivered as her bare feet met the hardwood floor, missing the plush, warm carpet of her own house. She went out into the wide hall, and began inspecting the portraits and landscapes hung on the walls. They were classy, mostly revolving around city life and the theatre, and Rachel came to the conclusion that she was definitely in her mother's home.

Coming to the top of the stairs, Rachel realized she didn't know where to go. She looked up and down the hall, down the stairs onto the main floor, and decided to look around a bit. She went to the other end of the hall, and saw that the last door was ajar. Rachel glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one was there, and pushed the door with her toe. It opened wide, squeaking slightly, and she peered inside.

The beauty of the room behind the door made Rachel gasp in awe. There was a shiny black baby grand piano sitting in the window. The sunlight was beaming through sheer curtains, making the instrument glisten luminously. The bench was upholstered in a rich purple fabric over a dark cherry colored wood, and looked extremely inviting. Rachel walked over to the piano and ran her fingers along the top, admiring its class and grandeur. She sat on the bench, pulling herself closer to the pedals and touched the ivory keys gently, making the notes sing quietly. Rachel desperately wished that she knew how to play; she had never had an interest in piano when she was little, focusing more on dance and vocal training. She regretted it very much now.

Rachel put her right foot on the farthest left pedal and played a C major chord, listening to the ring of the notes. She danced her fingers over the keys a bit, picking out a popular song from the sixties that she knew very well. She sang quietly on her breath, feeling out the tune by ear, and was very proud of herself. A hand on her shoulder made her spin around quickly, and her breath caught a little bit in fear. Shelby was smiling down at her, hand resting on Rachel, and in her other arm Beth was sitting up, blinking big brown eyes and smiling. Her wavy blonde hair fell just past her ears, and she was wearing a pink summer dress. She was absolutely adorable.

"Do you play?" Shelby asked, sitting next to Rachel on the bench with Beth in her lap.

"No," Rachel said, looking at the little girl intently. Beth cooed and gurgled, grinning at Rachel, who smiled back out of habit. The smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "I wish I did, but I never took lessons."

"It's not hard," said Shelby, maneuvering her arms around the toddler in her lap to get her fingers to the keys. "I could teach you if you wanted."

Rachel was touched for a moment, and then thought better of it. "That's okay; you should probably save all your teaching energy for Beth," she said to Shelby, who looked confused. "She'll be looking to you, you know, to teach her all of those things, like singing, and dancing, piano, and everything else. She'll want some of your talent to rub off on her. I know she's going to want to be famous. But it will mean even more to her if you teach her yourself."

Rachel knew she sounded bitter, even jealous. It was hard not to wish to be in the little girl's position, with Shelby as her mother. It was hardly fair to Rachel, Shelby's daughter by birth, to be missing out on a mother, while Beth, the illegitimate child of a foolish school girl and a hormonal teenage boy, got all the love and attention that Rachel was deprived of. A hot anger and envy boiled up inside Rachel, and she desperately wanted to get away from her mother and adopted daughter.

Shelby looked slightly hurt, her fingers hovering above the ivory keys on the piano. Clearly lost for words, she simply brought her hands back to Beth and sat silently. Rachel felt the sting of tears behind her eyes; she was so overwhelmed with parental issues lately, it seemed as though she could think of nothing else.

"Rachel," Shelby said quietly, running her fingers over Beth's flaxen hair, pushing it behind her little ears and making her giggle. "I'm sorry I…"

"Don't," Rachel cut her off, staring at the shiny piano. "Please. It's bad enough already."

With that, Rachel scooted herself off of the piano bench and left the room, leaving Shelby and Beth behind to have some precious mother-daughter time. She went down over the stairs, finding her way to the kitchen, and sat at the high stools by the black-topped island in the middle of the room. A radio was playing somewhere in the background, ironically the same song that Rachel had just been picking out on the piano upstairs. She rested her elbows on the countertop, leaning her face against her hand, and let the tears fall from her eyes again. She was so sick of crying; it felt like that's all she had been doing for the past two days.

Rachel looked up to the doorway of the kitchen, expecting Shelby to come find her, but instead met the eyes of a strange older woman with graying hair and a stern-looking face. She eyed Rachel, giving her the strange feeling that she was being X-rayed, and Rachel shivered a bit under her gaze. However, the woman smiled, walking over towards the island, and her face relaxed its harsh lines, making her look far less intimidating.

"Hello," she greeted Rachel in a pleasant voice, extending her hand. Rachel wiped the tears from her cheeks and took the woman's hand in her own, shaking it. "I'm Mrs. Fisher, Shelby's nanny."

"N-nice to meet you," Rachel said, clearing her throat. "I'm Rachel, Shel…"

Mrs. Fisher made as if she didn't notice that Rachel hadn't finished her sentence, and smiled warmly. "It's very nice to meet you, Rachel."

The older woman turned away, giving Rachel a moment to compose herself and dry her face a bit with the edge of her sleeve. Mrs. Fisher moved towards the kitchen door and glanced up over the stairway.

"Is Shelby home?" she asked, coming back into the room and standing across the island.

"Yes," Rachel nodded, "she's upstairs with Beth."

"Oh, alright," said Mrs. Fisher, "I thought she needed me today. I'll just wait 'til she comes down and I'll ask her if…"

"If what?" Shelby asked, smiling, coming into the kitchen with Beth on her hip. The little girl beamed at Mrs. Fisher, who held out her arms and took her from her mother. Beth buried her face in the crook of the woman's neck and made happy baby noises. Rachel watched, increasingly envious of the affection the little girl was given.

"If you needed me today," Mrs. Fisher said with a tiny laugh. "I didn't know you were going to be home."

"I'm not planning on staying long," Shelby said, pulling the sweater she was wearing tighter around her waist. "I have a few things to do today."

Mrs. Fisher nodded, saying that it was completely fine. Shelby moved to sit next to Rachel at the island, and the teenage girl stood up, moving away from her mother. Shelby watched with hurt eyes, and though Rachel noticed, she didn't care. It was about time Shelby got a taste of her own medicine. Mrs. Fisher observed the tension between the two as only a wizened woman could do, and took that as her cue to leave Shelby and Rachel alone. Rachel watched the woman as she went up the stairs, tickling Beth and receiving giddy belly laughs from the baby.

The awkward silence that followed the abandonment by Mrs. Fisher was, well, awkward. Rachel fiddled with her zipper, refusing to sit down, and Shelby stared at her, clearly hurt and confused. Rachel's mouth was set in a hard line, and she was fuming.

"What did I do," Shelby said plaintively from the island.

"What do you mean?" asked Rachel innocently, glaring up at Shelby from under her eyelashes.

"Why are you upset with me? It's obvious," Shelby pointed out. "You're bad at hiding your feelings, kind of like me." She smirked slightly, watching Rachel's straight face. "However, I don't think I did anything."

"Exactly," Rachel muttered. Shelby furrowed her brow.

"What?"

"Exactly," Rachel repeated, a little louder. "You didn't do anything."

"I don't follow," Shelby said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Rachel heaved an enormous, overdramatic sigh, which made Shelby smirk again. Rachel didn't return the smile.

"Do you love Beth?" Rachel asked, shifting gears. She figured that the best approach was to probe Shelby for information, letting her come to her own conclusions.

Shelby looked a little surprised, eyebrows rising and eyes widening. "Of course I do. She's a beautiful, wonderful little girl and I love her like my own. Oh…" Shelby said, catching on right away. Rachel nodded, and folded her arms across her chest. She shifted awkwardly, moving her weight from one hip to the other. "Rachel, baby…"

"Please don't call me that," said Rachel, a little harsher then she intended to. Shelby's posture drooped, and she physically backed off. "Sorry."

"It's… it's fine," Shelby said, and cleared her throat. "Rachel, I just… I guess I should explain a few things to you."

"I'd like that," Rachel said honestly. She moved over to the island and sat next to her mother, resting her head on her hand.

"Well," said Shelby, thinking, "I was young, and I mean

"I'd like that," Rachel said honestly. She moved over to the island and sat next to her mother, resting her head on her hand.

"Well," said Shelby, thinking, "I was young, and I mean _very _young, when your fathers contacted me about being a surrogate for them. I was stuck for cash, living on my own, totally independent. I didn't think I'd ever want kids; all I wanted was to be famous. So, to me, it was a way to make some money…well, a lot of money, make some people very happy, and get better parking spots at the mall and the grocery store." Rachel smirked at that. "I went ahead and told your dads I'd be willing, and they made me sign a contract saying I'd never be able to see you afterwards. For a while, that was fine.

"But, after a while, I didn't want that anymore. It got to the point where I was falling in love with the little baby who was inside of me," Shelby explained, her eyes saddening. "I used to talk to you, and sing to you, all the time. I wanted you so badly. When the day came that I had to give you up, I cried, and begged your dads to let me keep you. But I had signed a contract, and there was nothing I could do.

"Then," Shelby continued, "I fell in love for the first time, and thought that I would finally be able to have a family of my own. But I couldn't have any more children; something went wrong shortly after you were born, and I had a few surgeries, and that was the end of it." Shelby rubbed her abdomen absent-mindedly, and Rachel frowned. "The guy I was with left me; he wanted a family, too, and there was no way I could ever give him one. It broke us apart," Shelby said sadly. Her mother got a far away look in her eyes, and smiled in a gut-wrenching way. "I used to think about you every day, and wondered that maybe if I hadn't had you, or maybe if I had only kept you…"

"And then there was Beth?" Rachel offered, watching Shelby closely.

"Yes," Shelby nodded, really smiling this time. "Then there was Beth. Rachel, she was my way of getting you back. I knew that I couldn't be selfish, and take you from your parents. They loved you so much, and when we first met, I knew that you didn't need me. There are so many people in your life who love you, and you're all grown up. You're not a little girl any more," Shelby said, taking Rachel's hand. "Beth is my baby now, because I gave you up then."

Rachel felt the tears trickle from her eyes before she even knew she was crying. It all made perfect sense to her now; Shelby couldn't have children. She didn't have Beth to make Rachel jealous, but to fill the empty space that was left inside of her when she gave Rachel away. Rachel felt differently about her mother then; she didn't pity her or feel bad for her, but she respected her, and wanted to make things easier for her. If she could have turned back the clock, she would have never been born.

Rachel then had to ask the question that was burning her from the inside out. Her heart pounded in her ears as she opened her mouth. "Do you love me?"

Shelby squeezed Rachel's hand in her own and nodded. "Yes," she said. "Rachel, I do. I always have." Shelby smiled again, warmly, and took a breath. "I regret so much."

"Don't regret it," Rachel said, shaking her head. "You gave me so many opportunities, and so much love, without even being there. By letting me go, you made my life what it was. And now, you have Beth, and I have my dads, and we can pick up where we left off. You know, I missed you even though I didn't know you."

"Oh, Rachel," Shelby said happily. "You are such a wonderful girl."

"I love you," Rachel said quietly, "Mom."

"I love you, too, baby," Shelby said, and they embraced. Rachel was content, then, to just sit with Shelby like mothers and daughters do. Her mind had pushed her dads to the side for a while; her emotional capacity was full and she couldn't handle any more. She would deal with that, but for now, she would just be.


	5. Walk In Shadows, Searching for Light

**A/N: Here's a short little chapter to keep you satisfied for the weekend! The fluff and angst are in constant battle; which do you think is going to win? I hope you enjoy this chapter, and more will come next week! Happy reading, and please review! :) xxx**

After they had some breakfast, showered and got dressed – Rachel in an outfit that she borrowed from Shelby – the duo headed back to the hospital again. As they drove, they talked quietly. Rachel expressed her concern about her fathers, still fighting back tears that were constantly threatening to overflow. Shelby comforted her, assuring that she could rely on her mother to be there for her, no matter what happened.

Shelby led the way through the hospital again, up the three floors to the room in which Rachel's fathers were staying. The hospital was more familiar to Rachel after her first visit there the previous day, though it still made her uncomfortable and nervous. The pristine white walls, ceilings and floors were almost _too_ clean for her; Rachel suppressed a small smile as she thought about Ms. Pillsbury back at McKinley, who would have been perfectly content in the sterilized bubble that was the hospital.

To Rachel's relief, Dr. Fitzgerald was not present when she arrived at her fathers' room. She couldn't get his wavy, blond, disgusting hair out of her mind, and his Ken-doll appearance neither attracted nor soothed her; instead it made her nauseated. Thankfully, the room was empty save her two dads, lying in the beds looking absolutely pitiful. Sol was asleep in the bed closest to her, his machines beeping and lighting up sporadically in a somewhat reassuring manner. Rick, however, was awake. He grinned at his daughter, and Rachel moved to his bedside quickly while Shelby took a seat against the wall. The father and daughter embraced, and Rachel, kicking herself internally, began to cry again.

'Oh, D-Daddy," she stammered, holding him gently as to not disturb his bandaged head. "I was so worried about you!"

"I know," Rick replied in a husky yet effeminate voice, stroking Rachel's long, dark hair with a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry we didn't…"

"Don't apologize," Rachel said, backing out of the hug. She looked suddenly stern, though the effect was ruined by her blotchy, red face and tear marks. "It's not your fault. I'm just so thankful that…that…"

Rachel didn't even finish her sentence. She began to sob again, and threw her arms around her father. Rick winced slightly, but returned the embrace. His eyes, too, were watering. After a few moments of crying together, Rachel let go again. She wiped her eyes with the long sleeve of Shelby's navy hoodie that she had borrowed, smearing the make up on her lids. She realized that she probably looked slightly raccoon-ish, but didn't care.

"How's Dad?" she asked, whispering now. She turned her attention to her other father, who was still sleeping. Rick didn't reply for a moment. He watched Rachel, looked at Sol, and back to his daughter. Rachel's eyebrows flew up in alarm. "Is something wrong?"

Rick cleared his throat, which made him wince again. He put a hand to his head and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Rachel saw that they were swimming with tears. Her bottom lip quivered, and she glanced at Shelby, who looked back, her face full of sympathy.

"Daddy, what's wrong with him?" Rachel pleaded. "Tell me, please."

"Oh, Rach," Rick said sadly. "He's having trouble with his heart."

"That's nothing new," Rachel countered defensively. She was sure that everything was going to be okay; it had to be. "He's had trouble for a long time, hasn't he?"

Rick nodded. "Yes, but the accident isn't doing him any good. Actually, it's making things a lot worse. The doctor says that it's really, really bad." Her father gazed at his partner, the love of his life, and his face fell. Rachel watched the sadness in his eyes and her heart ached for them. "I'm worried, hon."

Rachel nodded, and sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. She sighed softly and laid a hand on her father's leg. He noticed Shelby sitting against the wall for the first time, and managed to give her a small smile. Shelby returned it, sadly, and watched from a distance.

Rachel was surprised that her father was so accepting of Shelby's presence. When they found out that Rachel had met her mother, both of her fathers had been angry; they had never wanted Shelby to have anything to do with Rachel, and it had been in the contract that she could never contact her. She had broken the terms and broken their trust. Rachel had been warned to never speak to her again, but, for the first time in her life, had disobeyed her parents. She so desperately had wanted a relationship with her mother. After a while, they had accepted the fact that Shelby and Rachel would still be in contact; she would not interfere with the life Rachel already led, but only add to it. Her fathers would still be her sole providers and there was nothing more to be said about it.

It was with that thought that Rachel began to wonder something else; something that she had never dreamed of. She didn't have a Godmother or Godfather, and she had no relations that she knew of. Her life had been very secluded to just the three of them, and though Rachel had always been fine with that, if there came a time that she was left on her own…She was only sixteen. She was scared.

"Daddy," Rachel said, sounding very young and afraid, "what happens to me if…"

Rick laid his head back on his pillow and looked up towards the ceiling, and took a breath. When he looked back to Rachel, he seemed very calm and certain. "If we both pass on?" Rachel nodded. "Actually, I've been thinking about that a lot. So I answer your question with a question; what do you want to do?"

Rachel was stunned and speechless for a moment. She gave it some thought, and then, with another look at Shelby, who smiled, she answered her father. "I think I'd like to stay with Shelby."

With a gentle smile, Rick nodded. "I was hoping you would say that. I know you and Ms. Corcoran have become close lately, am I right?" Rachel agreed; it was true. The past few days had been huge steps for her and her mother. "Dr. Fitz told me that Rachel had come to see me, and was with a woman who had to be her mother. I knew right away it was you, Shelby, and I felt better; even though when Rachel first told Sol and I that she had found you, we were upset and felt slightly betrayed, it was comforting to know that she would have someone to turn to if anything ever happened to us. We didn't know where Rachel was, and neither of us was in a fit state to call and check up on her. I'm glad she had you.

"Shelby, I know this is springing a lot on you at one time…"

"No, not at all," Shelby said, coming to Rachel's side. "It would be an honor for me to have Rachel stay in my home, if ever such a need would arise." Rachel took Shelby's hand in her own and squeezed it. Her mother kissed her on top of the head, sending a warm, comforting sensation throughout Rachel's entire body. She had never felt so loved.

"I will rest easy," Rick said, with a grateful look at Shelby, "knowing that my Rachel is not alone in this world."

"Daddy, don't talk like that," Rachel said, squeezing his leg with her other hand. "You seem fine now!"

Rick nodded again. "Yes, I know, but…You never know, hon."

Rachel frowned, her stomach jumping violently. Shelby furrowed her eyebrows and looked from Rick to Rachel. It was silent for a moment, and Rachel's nerves were on end.

"Well, maybe we should go back to your house and get some of your things," Shelby offered Rachel, breaking the awkward tension. "You're going to stay with me until your father's are well enough to take you home with them." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. Rachel stood up, kissed her father lightly on the cheek and turned to go.

"Do you need anything, Daddy?" she asked, heading towards the door.

"No, no, I'm fine," Rick said. "Just come back and visit!"

"Okay, we will. Call me on my cell when Dad wakes up," Rachel added, and blew her father a kiss from the doorframe. He caught it with his un-casted arm and Rachel grinned. With a lighter feeling in her heart, she walked side by side with Shelby out of the hospital. It was almost as if things were going to take a turn for the better, and Rachel was happy.


	6. Cold and Alone, No Comfort In Sight

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry this took so long to update; I've been super busy with work, and barely get a break at all! Also, I apologize to all my reviewers, because I didn't reply to your lovely, kind words! Don't fret; I read them, and appreciate them all, but alas, working takes over my life. However, I am back in business and will try to update more frequently. Don't be mad! Read and review and happy reading! Xx**

When Rachel finally decided that she was ready to go back to school, Shelby was more than willing to take her there. The drive from McKinley to Carmel wasn't too long, and it wasn't out of the way, so it was no inconvenience. Regardless, Shelby insisted that she and Rachel get up and go together, not minding that it would make her a little later than a teacher should have been.

Rachel got ready in no time; she pulled on a navy blue pleated skirt and a cream-colored t-shirt with a silk bow on the front, and did her hair, curling the ends neatly with a small curling iron. She put on a little make-up and examined herself in the mirror, thinking that everyone would notice how tired she looked. She tried smiling, thrusting out her chin and batting her eye lashes at her reflection. Rachel's head whipped around when she heard a giggle from behind her; Shelby was standing in the door of the bathroom, leaning against the frame and smirking.

Rachel was not fazed by her mother's mockery. "I just haven't smiled in a while," she defended, and Shelby's smile faded.

"I know," she acknowledged. "Come on, let's get you to school."

The familiar drive in near silence was a short one, musical theatre playing softly in the back ground. Both women found solace in sitting in close proximity to one another, merely taking in each other's presence and thinking to themselves. Rachel gazed out the window, her book bag on her lap, butterflies in her stomach as Shelby's SUV pulled into McKinley's parking lot. She hadn't seen any of her friends in days, hadn't taken the time to let them know where she was, and had ignored all their next messages. She knew that they would be upset with her, and didn't think she could handle their disappointment or anger. She had a sudden, fleeting urge to ask if Shelby would walk in with her, like a child on her first day of kindergarten.

As if reading her mind, Shelby put a hand on Rachel's shoulder and smiled at her gently. "Don't worry about your friends," she said reassuringly. "Just explain to them what happened; they'll understand."

Rachel nodded and set her jaw, laying a hand on top of her mother's before sliding out of the car. Shelby pulled away, and as Rachel walked up the steps into the entrance of the school, she realized that she hadn't thanked her for the ride.

The halls were strangely empty as she walked towards the choir room, with only a few scattered students at their lockers or talking to their companions. Rachel watched awkwardly as a member of the football team shoved a cheerleader against a classroom door and kissed her passionately. People have no dignity, she thought.

When Rachel stepped into the choir room, the Glee members were sitting in the chairs, talking amongst themselves. Mr. Schue was at the piano, laying out sheet music and singing quietly under his breath. The room went silent as Rachel approached the rest of the club, laying her bag next to a chair, and all eyes were on her. Someone cleared their throat, and Mr. Schue's attention was brought back to his students. No one said anything until he spoke up.

"Rachel!" he exclaimed, coming from the piano to stand nearer to her. "Welcome back."

Rachel smiled meekly. "Thank you. It's good to be back."

For another moment, the rest of the room remained silent. Then, all at once, they began blasting her with questions and accusations.

"Princess Rachel returns!"

"Well, look who it is!"

"Where have you been?"

"Ahh hell to the nah! I was THIS close to getting a solo!"

"That was an awful short sabbatical."

"Is everything okay?"

"We missed you!"

Overwhelmed with the sudden outburst, Rachel just sat down, feeling quite unwelcome.

"Guys, guys!" Mr. Schue called over the ruckus. They all quieted down, except for Mercedes, who continued to rant about the undeserved discrimination and lack of exposure for her talent. "Come on, please. Let Rachel breathe! You're jumping to conclusions here; I'm sure she has a perfectly good explanation for her time missed, don't you, Rachel?"

Despite his kind words, Rachel sensed a slight hint of disappointment from the choir director, as well. It was understandable; she had missed a few days completely unannounced, and, being the lead female, it was obvious that their rehearsals had been lacking without her. She appreciated being allowed to explain herself, and began to do so.

"Thank you, Mr. Schuster!" Rachel said, still sitting; she didn't feel like calling all the attention on her at that moment, which was strange, but being away for so long and under so much stress had mellowed her out…slightly. "I was actually with my father's at the hospital; they were in a car accident, and aren't doing very well. I'm sorry I didn't contact any of you to let you know, but…"

"You had other things on your mind," Mr. Schue finished for her. "Rachel, I'm so sorry." Rachel nodded, and blinked rapidly, not realizing she was tearing up.

"Yeah, Rachel, sorry to hear that," Puck said, nodding his concern from the row of chairs behind her.

Quinn, Mercedes and Tina stepped down from their seats and took turns hugging Rachel tightly. As she stood to embrace each of them, Rachel felt comforted, and extremely grateful for the people she had come to be so close with through the course of the year. The rest of the Glee club took their turns offering their sentiments, clutching Rachel's hand, or hugging her warmly. A warm feeling filled Rachel's heart, and she was glad to be back.

When everyone had settled down and found their seats, Rachel took a chair next to Finn. He draped an arm around her shoulders, and she laid her head on his, taking in his smell that she had missed for the days she had been gone. It was almost awkward, and almost comfortable, in a strange, contradicting manner that made Rachel uneasy. As Mr. Schue introduced the club's assignment for the week, Rachel reveled in being so close to Finn. It seemed almost a romantic gesture, but in her time of need, she felt that Finn was just being comforting and supportive in the only way he knew how; being close to her.

"I'm really sorry to hear about your dads," he whispered in her ear. His breath was warm and smelled like toothpaste. She blinked slowly, shuddering slightly.

"Thanks," she whispered back. She reached for his hand, desperate to have more of him close to her, but was interrupted by the shrill ring of the school bell. She stopped dead in her tracks, and he removed his arm from around her shoulders, standing up. He grabbed his bag and smiled down at her, making her heart pound in her chest.

"I'll see you around," he grinned, and left for class, filing out of the room with the rest of the Glee kids. She nodded as his back, staring longingly after him.

She heard a snort from behind her, and turned around to see Santana and Brittany sitting in identical positions with their arms and legs crossed. Santana raised an eye brow and smiled in a mocking manner.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, puh-lease," Santana laughed good-naturedly, most of the hostility between her and Rachel replaced by comradely respect. "You're practically drooling."

Brittany looked from Rachel to Santana and back again. "Her tongue's not hanging out," she said, blinking rapidly.

"Ugh, Britt," Santana rolled her eyes, "not literally. Anyway, sorry to hear about your dads car accident or whatever," said the cheerleader, grabbing her purse from underneath her chair. She stepped down the three elevated rows and flicked her ponytail absently.

"Come on, Britt," she said, and left the room. Finally, it was only Rachel and Mr. Schuster left alone in the choir room. It seemed like it took all of Rachel's energy to stand up from the chair.

As Rachel went to leave the room, Mr. Schuster cleared his throat loudly, grabbing her attention. She turned, half out the door, and cocked her head to one side. His soft eyes gleamed, and he ran a hand through his hair, the other in his pocket.

"You know, Rachel," he said, walking a few steps closer to her, "if you need to talk about anything, there's lots of people who can listen. You're probably going through a hard time right now, and I know your dad's are all you have."

Rachel felt her eyes well up again, and she nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Schue. I appreciate it."

"I'm going to let Miss Pillsbury know what's going on," he continued, "just in case you really need someone to listen. Or, there's always me, if worse comes to worst."

She nodded again, and gave a watery smile. Without another word, she turned and headed to class, preparing herself for a long and emotionally exhausting day.

After getting through six period classes, with six explanations as to why she had missed school, and six nearly overflowing bouts of tears, the day was finally over. Rachel was completely relieved, and couldn't wait to get back to Shelby's. She pulled her phone out of her book bag and sent her mother a text message.

_Hey. I'm done for the day. I'll wait here until you're ready._

Rachel hadn't even returned her phone to her bag when it vibrated, and she smiled to herself; Shelby had been waiting to hear from her daughter. She checked the reply, eyes filling up again at the gentle tone Shelby used even in a text message.

_Sure thing babe. I have a staff meeting that will be over soon. Won't be long. Will text before I come. Xo_

Rachel wrote back simply, _Ok thanks, _and put her phone away. She went to her locker to take out some of her books, and was pleasantly surprised to see Finn leaning against the lockers next to hers, hands in his pockets and looking desirably adorable with a lopsided grin as he watched her approach.

"Hi," he said, not changing his position.

"Hi," Rachel replied, pulling her locker open and unloading some books. She glanced at herself in the small mirror inside the metal door, noting her skin was lacking color and she had dark circles forming under her eyes. She looked exhausted.

Closing the door again, Rachel leaned against the cool metal, allowing her forehead to rest against the comforting low temperature. She dropped her bag to the floor and sunk against the hard surface, resting all her weight on the lockers. With a sigh, she turned around and sat on the floor next to her book bag, adjusting her skirt and closing her eyes.

She felt Finn slide down next to her, listened to his steady breathing, and her stomach clenched in a pleasant way. They sat in silence, and she turned her face toward him, leaving her eyes closed. She felt his hand on her cheek, another behind her head, and as he pulled her close to him, she let herself be lead, not resisting. She was weak in his arms, and opened her eyes just in time to see they were eye to eye, almost touching noses. She stared into his eyes, which were warm and laughing, even when he wasn't. It could have been funny, but it was completely serious.

Rachel tilted her head to the left, lips slightly parted, breath coming quickly. She thought briefly of the disgusting couple she had witnessed on her way to class this morning, and glanced over Finn's shoulder for passers-by. He turned his head, following her gaze, though not removing his hands from their position around her face.

"What are you looking for?" he asked quietly, looking back to her.

She smiled softly. "Witnesses."

Finn grinned, and Rachel closed her eyes again as he kissed her, his lips gently nuzzling hers. She sighed into his kiss, thinking that he tasted like sour candy and gum, and allowed her own hand to find the nape of his neck. Every feeling, every emotion Rachel had was thrust into the intimate moment, and as their lips parted briefly, she whimpered, collapsing into his arms. Her head rested against his thigh, and he stroked her hair, clearly confused. Without warning, she was crying, letting the tears flow for the first time that day. In no time at all, she was sobbing silently into Finn's lap, and he continued to run his hand over the top of her head, obviously lost for a way to comfort her. 

"I-I'm sorry," she muttered into his jeans, when the sobs subsided.

"Don't be," he answered, helping her sit up. "Guess you've wanted to do that all day, huh?"

Rachel agreed. "I'm just so overwhelmed. It's too much; I can't even channel it into music. Turmoil at its finest," she answered, and he nodded as if he understood. She loved his adorable confused face, and ran her fingers along his cheek. Rachel's bag vibrated next to her, ruining the moment. She grabbed it and reached into the front pouch, pulling out her phone. Finn sat quietly as she read the text from Shelby; _In the building. Talking to Will. Meet at his office?_ Rachel replied with a quick _on the way_ and stood up.

"I've got to go," she said hastily. Finn got to his feet as well, and nodded again.

"Need a ride?" he asked chivalrously. As much as Rachel longed to accept the offer to be with him for a few more moments, she declined.

"No thanks, I have one. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya," Finn said, and headed towards the front door. Rachel watched the door swing closed behind him, and sighed as she turned down the hall.

She came to Mr. Schuster's office and knocked on the door, which was opened almost instantly by Shelby, who looked slightly distraught. Rachel was concerned as her mother rearranged her face into a more pleasant, unconvincing expression.

"Rachel, come in," Shelby said, moving back into the office so the girl could get inside. Sitting behind the desk was Mr. Schuster, who smiled gently at Rachel, and standing behind him was Miss Pillsbury, who greeted Rachel with a small hello. Rachel looked confusedly at the three adults; it wasn't hard to tell they had been talking about her moments before she entered.

"We were just talking about you," Mr. Schue said innocently.

"I figured as much," Rachel answered, slightly annoyed at the conference of Adults for a Better Rachel Berry. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me, or should I just wait outside?"

Slightly thrown by her attitude, Shelby stiffened and shot a look at her daughter, who dropped her gaze, chastened. "We were just discussing what was going on with your dads. We all have your best interest at heart, Rachel, you know that. We want to help you catch up, get back on track, with what you missed while you were out."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, annoyed. She pouted her lower lip, folding her arms across her chest. "I want to go home."

Shelby shook her head in a disproving manner. "We can leave when Mr. Schuster, Ms. Pillsbury and I are finished our conversation."

"Why don't you sit down, Rachel," Mr. Schuster offered, indicating the chairs in front of his desk.

"No, thank you," Rachel declined stubbornly. "Go ahead, finish up."

Shelby widened her eyes menacingly. Rachel looked away from her mother, remaining standing just for spite. Her stomach knotted slightly, with that familiar little-girl feeling of being in trouble when she got home. She was tired, and emotionally drained, and didn't want to wait around while her mother discussed her best interests with her choir director and guidance counselor. She just wanted to leave.

"Will, Emma," Shelby said, turning her attention back to the teachers, "thank you for your concern and help. It's greatly appreciated, I assure you."

"Any time at all," Mr. Schuster said with a smile. He stood and reached across the desk to take Shelby's hand, which he shook. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but you never know."

"Good luck," Emma said, smiling at Shelby, who nodded. "We'll help any way we can, if it's necessary."

"Thank you," Shelby said again, and turned to the door without a word to Rachel, who followed behind with a sense of dread looming over her.

All the way out of the school and to the car, Shelby was silent except for the clicking of her heels on the ground underneath her. She started the car with a punch of the keys in the ignition, Rachel sitting in the passenger seat and staring at her lap. She felt another twinge in her stomach, felt Shelby's eyes on her, and felt the car shudder to a stop in the driveway of her mother's house.

They entered in silence, Shelby throwing her bag down by the door and hanging her keys on the rack in the hall. Rachel watched her mother head toward the kitchen, feeling relieved and she started up the stairs to the guest bedroom where she was staying. Halfway up the flight, she was stopped in her tracks by a quiet, "Rachel".

Rachel slowly turned around and took her time walking back down the stairs and down the hall. "Rachel," Shelby called again, firmer this time, and Rachel's pace quickened.

Shelby was standing at the island, tapping her long fingernails on the marble, looking thoroughly unimpressed. Rachel stepped into the kitchen, listening to the clicking noise of her mother's manicure, and the footsteps on the top floor of Beth and the nanny in the nursery. Rachel avoided her mother's gaze, looking at her socked feet and clasping her hands in front of her.

"We need to talk," Shelby said quietly, her voice holding an intimidating power which made Rachel squirm. "Come sit."

Rachel obeyed, sensing her mother's displeasure, feeling more like she was six, rather than sixteen. She pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at Shelby with wide eyes. Her mother shook her head.

"Don't give me those eyes, young lady. I'm not impressed," she said, and Rachel had the strongest urge to hug her. She had never been chastised by a woman before; growing up, discipline had come from her fathers only. She felt a surge of maternal adoration for the woman standing before her, hand on her hips, looking ready to give Rachel an enormous, stern telling off. "Your behavior in Mr. Schuster's office was completely rude and utterly embarrassing. Totally unnecessary, Rachel," Shelby scolded. "We were discussing you, your future, and you come in there, demanding to go home like some overtired child."

Feeling too drained to be feisty, Rachel nodded. "I was overtired."

"Not an excuse," Shelby shot crossly. "I really don't understand what got into you. I didn't think you were like that, Rachel."

Realizing suddenly that Shelby was disappointed in her, Rachel's heart dropped; disappointment was worse than anger, and Rachel couldn't bear any more emotions. She began to cry again, staring into her lap and letting the tears fall into her skirt. "S-sorry," she stammered meekly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, feeling small and weak. She had never been so confused, ashamed, tired, exhausted, worried, or loved in her whole life.

"You should be," Shelby said, gently this time. "Stop your crying, now." Shelby rubbed comforting circle into Rachel's back, and Rachel rested her head against her mother's chest. After a few moments, Shelby took Rachel's hand and led her up to the guest room. She took some pajamas out of the dresser and handed them to Rachel, who changed out of her clothes and into the pink fleece without regard for her mother being there.

Shelby folded down the bed sheets and allowed Rachel to climb into the cool cotton. Rachel laid her head on the feather pillow and tucked her hands under her cheek. Shelby pushed Rachel's long hair behind her ear and bent down to kiss her gently on the forehead.

"Goodnight," Shelby whispered, moving away and towards the door. Rachel saw her flick the light switch, and then it was dark. "I love you."

"Love you too, Mom," Rachel muttered, letting sleep take her over and wash away the emotions of the day. In dreams, she could let her mind be blank for a while, as if stopping her own life from moving while the rest of the world kept living.

**A/N 2: So! That's the end of this chapter. Let me know what you thought! I know, it's pretty heavy and angsty for the most part, though I tried to fluff it up a little bit there. If you think that was bad, though, wait til the next chapter! And yes, I know, for a Glee fic it's missing a lot of the Glee cast, but it's Rachel/Shelby-centric, so that's all you can do! Too many characters to work with! But, let me know what you thought! **


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